Chapter Twenty One: Born Again

"6pm, Tuesday 15th October 5006, on the way to Barcelona!" The new Doctor straightened, grinning over at Alex from the console. "Now then, what do I look like?"

Alex blinked. "I, er..."

He held up a hand. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, don't tell me." He started to investigate his own body while Alex watched in bewilderment. "Let's see, two legs, two arms, two hands... Slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle... Hair! I'm not bald! Oh, oh! Big hair! Sideburns, I've got sideburns! ... or really bad skin. Little bit thinner, that's weird. Give me time, I'll get used to it." He gasped loudly. "I've got a mole! I can feel it! Between my shoulder blades, there's a mole. That's alright, love a mole." He grinned at Alex. "Go on, then, tell me. What do you think?"

She put a hand to her mouth, eyes wide. "Who are you?"

The Doctor stared, crestfallen. "I'm the Doctor."

Alex shook her head, her hand shaking. "No, where is he? Where's the Doctor?" She raised her voice, turning threatening. "What have you done to him?!"

He blinked. "You saw me. I... I changed, right in front of you."

"I..." She hesitated. "I saw the light, and then you replaced him, like a... like a teleport or a transmat or something." He watched with eyes so familiar and yet so different as she edged forwards, pushing him tentatively. "You're not fooling me."

"Kez, I—"

Suddenly she was angry, the force of her rage making him blink. "Send him back! I'm warning you, send the Doctor back right now, or I swear I will tear you apart!"

The Doctor swallowed. "Kez, it's me. Honestly, it's me." She just stared at him, her chest heaving, her eyes struggling to understand. "I was dying. To save my own life, I changed my body. Every single cell, but... it's still me."

"You can't be," she whispered, uncertain.

"Then how could I remember this?" He stepped closer to her, those chocolate brown eyes meeting hers. "Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar, surrounded by shop window dummies, oh, such a long time ago. I took your hand." And he did now, too, with a touch that was oh-so-familiar. "I said one word, just one word... I said 'run'."

Her eyes widened, full of unshed tears. "Doctor?"

He grinned. "Hello."

"Christ," she mumbled, and then she was hugging him tight, so tight he thought she might never let go, and in truth, he never wanted her to. Eventually, though, she did, tears spilling over. "Sorry, I just... I thought you were dead."

"Tell you what," he said, bounding over to the console. "Cancel Barcelona, change to London, the Powell Estate... oh, let's say the 24th of December." He glanced across at her. "Consider it a Christmas present."

Alex blinked. "We're going home?"

"Up to you," he said, shrugging. "Back to your mum, it's all waiting. Fish and chips, sausage and mash, beans on toast... no, Christmas! Turkey!" He tilted his head cheekily. "Although, having met your mother, nut loaf would be more appropriate." She glanced down, a smirk flashing across her lips, and he raised an eyebrow. "Was that a smile?"

She shook her head, schooling her expression as she met his eyes again. "Nope."

"That was a smile," he realised, starting to grin.

"No, it wasn't," she said, but she was smiling even then.

"You smiled..."

"Shut up, no I didn't."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, all I did was change. I didn't—" He gagged, cutting himself off.

Alex raised her eyebrows. "You good?"

"I said I didn't—" He retched again, his face twisting in pain. "Uh oh."

"Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes widening. He breathed out golden energy, and she stared. "What's that?"

He winced. "Oh, the change is going a bit wrong." His legs gave way and he crashed to his knees, groaning.

Alex bit her lip, rushing to support him. "Look, maybe we should go back. Let's go and find Jack, yeah, he'll know what to do!"

The Doctor scoffed. "Oh, he's busy! He's got plenty to do rebuilding the Earth!"

"He's what?!"

He eyed a lever on the console, then threw it. "I haven't used this one in years." The TARDIS jolted violently and they both hit the floor, crying out.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Alex demanded, struggling to her feet.

"Putting on a bit of speed!" the Doctor exclaimed, grinning wildly. "That's it! My beautiful ship! Come on, faster! That's a girl! Faster! Wanna break the time limit?!"

"Stop it!" Alex ordered, trying to hide how scared she was. It was all too much at once.

"Ah, don't be so dull!" he complained. "Let's have a bit of fun! Let's rip through that vortex!" He met her eyes, and his gaze softened. "The regeneration's going wrong. I can't stop myself." Another jolt of pain went through him and he cried out. "Ah, my head! Faster! Let's open those engines!"

Somewhere deep within the TARDIS, a bell tolled. Alex looked around, eyes wide. She knew that was a bad sign. "What's that?"

"We're gonna crash land!" the Doctor exclaimed, whooping with joy.

"Well then, do something!" she ordered, clinging onto the console for dear life.

"Too late!" he grinned. "Out of control! Oh, I love it! Hot dawg!"

Alex cried out as she banged her head on the time rotor. "You're gonna kill us!"

The Doctor didn't seem to care. "Hold on tight, here we go! Christmas Eve!"

~~~